Recruiting Report 4.18.11

The USC football team Sunday picked up a commitment from DL Carlos Hood (6-4 275) of Stone Mountain, GA. Hood is the third commitment for the Gamecocks’ 2012 class. He also had offers from Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Miami, South Florida, Illinois, East Carolina and Southern Miss. Hood and several of his teammates from Stephenson High School visited USC March 16th and that set his mind on the Gamecocks according to his assistant coach Corey Johnson. “He liked the general attitude towards playing football there,” Johnson said. “He walked away with a good impression.” Hood said what he saw on that day at USC left an impression. “I liked how they operated as far as defensive drills,” he said. “They run the 4-3 and that’s what I’m use to playing and like to play.” Hood had 60 tackles and 6 sacks last season. Johnson said Hood will be able to help the Gamecocks on the inside of their defensive line. “He is hard nose and has good strength at the point of attack,” he said. “He takes on those double teams and allows the linebackers to make plays.” Hood was recruited to USC by Lorenzo Ward.

QB Nathan Peterman (6-2 215) of Jacksonville, FL attended USC’s spring game and plans to return for a summer camp where he can be evaluated by Steve Spurrier and GA Mangus. “I talked with coach Spurrier Jr. and coach Mangus and they have pretty good interest,” Peterman said. “I liked it there. I didn’t get to see much due to the game day activities. But I liked the stadium and the weight room.” Peterman has offers from Florida International, Miami of Ohio, Southern Miss and Jacksonville State. He was at Florida State this past Saturday and the Seminoles are also showing interest. He’s also been to Florida. Peterman plays for Bartram Trail High School which send Kyle Parker to Clemson. He’s a pro style quarterback who also runs well out of the pocket. Last season he passed for 2016 yards with 20 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Peterman would like to make a decision by early fall.

QB Chad Kelly (6-3 205) of Buffalo visited Florida State over the weekend. Kelly also has visited Clemson, Syracuse and Buffalo and will visit Michigan State and Purdue in the near future. “Clemson is at the top,” he said. “I wouldn’t say they’re my favorite because I haven’t visited a lot of schools, but they’re definitely a player.” He will begin to narrow his list in the next month to six weeks and says he fully expects Clemson to make the cut. Kelly has offers from Clemson, Florida State, Purdue, Michigan State, Alabama, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Louisville and Vanderbilt.

QB Zeke Pike of Edgewood, KY will announce his college choice Wednesday. He is down to Clemson, Auburn, Michigan, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Purdue. 24/7Sports Recruiting analyst JC Shurburtt said today he expects Pike to announce for Auburn.

LB Keilin Rayner (6-3 210) of Leland, NC has offers from Clemson, Duke, and East Carolina. “I haven’t gotten any new offers lately but I am hearing from some other schools,” Rayner said. Those schools include USC and Auburn. Rayner is considering attending camp at USC this summer and plans to visit Clemson and NC State. Rayner moved from defensive end to linebacker prior to his junior season and says this is the position most schools are recruiting him to play. He had 127 tackles and five sacks. Rayner continues to favor Duke.

DB Deion Bonner of Columbus, GA, who has offers from Clemson and USC and who visited Clemson for its spring game, was one of three people arrested by Athens, GA police over the weekend in connection with thefts from the Georgia football locker room. They are accused of stealing IPods and IPhones on April 7th while on a visit to the school. The estimated value of the stolen items was $1330. Bonner, teammate Marquise Hawkins, and an unidentified juvenile were charged in the case according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The crimes are considered misdemeanors. Bonner is one of the top prospects in the country. He has had Clemson among his favorites along with Alabama and Georgia.

Basketball News:

5-11 PG Brenton Williams of Sante Fe JC, FL committed to USC Saturday after wrapping up a brief visit with the Gamecocks. Williams played just one season at Sante Fe and will have three years of eligibility at USC. In ten games last season, Williams averaged over 11 points per game. As a high school senior at Osceloa High School in Kissimmee, FL, Williams averaged over 26 points per game. Williams will be the third member of USC’s 2011 recruiting class.

6-2 shooting guard Rod Hall of Augusta was offered by Clemson Friday night during his official visit and committed to the Tigers. Hall said Tiger head coach Brad Brownell made the offer while they were at dinner. “He said, ‘Do you want to be a Tiger?’,” Hall said. He committed on the spot. “It’s a lot of relief,” he said. “It feels good. It’s a good school. It’s not too far from home. And it’s a good program.” Hall said he will sign his letter of intent next week. Hall also had offers from Nebraska, NC State, Coastal Carolina and Tennessee State. Hall averaged 26 points per game this past season. He will be the 5th player to sign with Clemson for the 2011 class.